Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-03-25
IRKLAND's CHAMPION.
Gladstone Vigorously Opposes the New
Coercion Bill.


LONDON, March 24th.-In the House of
Commons this evening the debate on the,
motion of urgency of the coercion bill, was.
resumed by Gladstone. He referred to the
unprecedented position of the House.
which had already sat two months during
which, he said, its independent initiative
had been suppressed. Even now the Con-
servatives exulted over the prospects of
passing a motion forcing the House to an,
absolute surrender of its whole time until
a bill of an extremely severe character had
been carried. The House was threatened
with frequent application of the cloture
if the debates were prolonged. No great
er calamity could befall the House
than this sort of pressure. He.
had seen more Parliamentary life
than any other man in the House, but he
never knew Of so grave a state of affairs,
which was due to the extreme abuse of
power by the majority, and which, if per-
sisted in, would leave behind sense of in
tolerable wrong. The yoke thus put on the
neck Of the House could not be borne
patiently. The condition of affairs is very
different from that when the coercion bill
of 1881 was passed. The present alleged
crime of the irish people consisted in COM
bining to secure a certain reduction of rent.
Irish cheers Even the evidence which
the Government put before the House
showed that this crime was restricted to
demands for Just abatement of rent.
Never had any former Coercion Act been
resisted by majority of the members.
from Ireland. [Cheers Now there was
protest against coercion from an over
whelming majority of the Irish members.
[Cheers.l Had the Government any lust
claim for demanding coercion, or urgenoy
for the new repressive measure? After ap-
pointing Commission to examine on the
spot the rent question and the evils arising
from the land laws, the Government now
put aside the recommendations of the
Commission and asked Parliament for
increased power to make laws still
more offensive 10 the general sense
of the Irish people. Cheers Gen.
eral Buller's evidence proved that the
tenants were not paying rent: that there
was no general movement against the paw
ment of rent, but a combined effort to OBJ
tain fair rents. If the Irish people were to
aptly follow the example constantly set by
others, see what they could make out Of
exclusive dealings. [CheersJ The Gov
trnment had contracts that should not be
broken yet Balfour, while preaching the
doctrine of the sanctity of contracts, was
going to introduce bill breakingthe lease
hold contracts adjusted under the LandAct
of 1881. Just as the judicial rents were, it
was not to indicate The sanctity of con-
tracts, nor TO repress widespread outbreak
of the Irish, that the Government now de-
manded coercion for Ireland. Of what
ever nature the Government measure.
should turn out TO be, il was the duty of
the Liberals, whether in the minority or
majority to refuse the urgency. He trusted
the people of England would see that the
Liberals united in opposing this measure,
which the Government. after eighty-siN
years experience, is preparing, under the
name of Statute of Parliament, to strike
a fresh blow at the life and happiness of
Ireland, and at the prosperity, contentment
and unity of the Irish people.
HOW THE SPEECH WAS RECEIVED.
LONDON, March 24th.- G.adstones, do
nunciation of the use of the cloture to cur
tail debate on the urgency motion on the
coercion bill, forced the Government to re-
consider the subject. The Ministry decided
to permit a prolongation of the debate, but
will insist that the House forego its Easter
vacation. The coercion bill will be passed
before the holidays.
One section of the Gladstonian party is
discontented with Gladstone's half-Veile
approval of the plan of campaign. The
English Home-rldeTs and Parpellites, how
ever, were delighted with the speech.
RALRovR TO REPLY.
Balfour, in introducing the coercion bill,
will respond to Gladstone's challenge to the
Government To state what criEae there is
that justifies the adoption of the measure.
The Dublin Executive has prepared a
statement designed to assist Baifour, prov
ing that the plan Of campaign had been d.
rected against tradesmen who are creditors
OF farmers belonging to tho National
League The Parnellites will maintain
that the plan is strictly confined to arrange
ments respecting rents.
The debate was prolonged. Chansber-
lain, or behalf Of the Government. replied
to Gladstone, and Healy, for the Pssnell-
ties. replied to Chamberlain, and Balfour,
SmiiA. Parnel and othsrs also participated
in iise debate, which was animated and ex-
citing at times.